Saturday, February 5, 2011

My Favorite Bridge Play

One of my favorite things to do as declarer is ruff a suit in dummy when we had 4-3 to begin with in that suit. One such play kind of came up today on board 27 of the ACBL-wide International Fund game.

Dealer: S
Vul: None
North
J76
74
KJT962
54

West
T42
AK983
7
♣ KQT8
East
AKQ
JT5
AQ83
♣ A97

South
9853
Q62
54
J632


I was west and we stopped in 6 after finding out we were off the Q. They led a spade and I finessed hearts, then played K-A. Then I ruffed a diamond to make sure there's not a K doubleton dropping, then played the CQ and ruffed a club in dummy when the J didn't fall. I repeated the heart finesse and drew the last trump. It's a play the wins over drawing all trumps and playing clubs from the top when the person with Jxxx also has the 3rd heart but loses only when someone trumps the 1st or 2nd round of clubs. Even if they ruff a big club on the 3rd round, we get the trick back by trumping the 4th round. If it turns out that clubs break 3-3, I just draw the last trump and have a good club in hand.

In the hand analysis, Frank Stewart says he thinks EW will "score only average for +1020." That seems quite optimistic to think as many people will bid a grand off the Q of the key suit as will score less than 1020. Average players won't think to ruff a club and won't risk either the diamond finesse or the anti-percentage club finesse. +1010 was good for 78% of the matchpoints at the Macon game as 980 for EW was the most common score.

2 comments:

  1. I was East and made +1020. North pitched a club while I was running the hearts, so it was easy to pick up the clubs. I really think East should drive to 6NT at matchpoints.

    If South covers the jack of hearts, you have a dummy reversal, ruffing three diamonds in hand. But covering is a pretty poor play...

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  2. On that line, why isn't N ruffing the CQ?

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